Tripura, in recent months, has experienced a substantial rise in violent incidents. Escalating tensions between indigenous tribals and Bengali settlers has seen a spurt of violence between May-June 2000. Another disturbing feature is reports indicating strengthening ties between major rival overground political organisations in the State and various terrorist organisations. These alliances represent an unfortunate trend in the State’s political life, and heighten the potential for future violence.
In the first six months of 2000 (until June 28), 346 incidents of terrorist violence were reported, including the killing of four local Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leaders in separate incidents. Of those killed are eight terrorists, 13 security forces personnel and 166 civilians. The situation turned worse beween May 17 and 20, when 45 civilians were killed in ethnic and terrorist violence in West Tripura district. This violence was primarily directed at influencing the outcome of elections held to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) on April 30 and May 3. News reports suggested that a tribal insurgent group, National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) unleashed a violent campaign in favour of the Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT), a political front contesting these elections. This campaign included abductions and intimidation attempts on candidates of other parties.
Tribal rebel groups have been trying to foment communal and sectarian tensions between tribals and non-tribals in the State, a trend that has dangerous portends, especially when seen against the background of insurgent violence in which nearly 10,000 people have been killed over the past two decades.
Following a series of attacks, carried out by tribal terrorist groups on Bengali settlers, the United Bengali Liberation Front (UBLF) was formed in October 1999 as a rival terrorist outfit. The UBLF was involved in a number of activities, including abductions, extortion, arson, bombing and killing of tribals. Between January 1 and June 28, 2000, UBLF terrorists killed 29 tribals. To make an on-the-spot assessment of the law and order situation and review the State government's strategy to contain terrorism, a high-level Central government team led by Union Home Secretary, Kamal Pandey visited the State on June 7.
The over-all number of violent incidents showed an increasing trend during 1999 as compared to 1998. The total number of incidents increased to 614 from 568 during the preceding year. The total number of deaths due to insurgent violence stood at 303 in 1999, as compared to 280 in 1998.
NOTE: Figures for 2000 till June 28.
Casualties among security forces personnel increased to 41 in 1999 as compared to 25 in 1998. The trend in civilian casualties too is similar with 240 persons killed in 1999 as compared to 229 in 1998. However, the number of terrorists killed dropped to 22 as against 26 in the previous year. In contrast, 57 terrorists surrendered in 1999 while only three had done so in 1998. The number of arms looted in 1999 had gone up to 26 from six during the preceding year. The total number of arms recovered in 1999 was 76 as compared to 154 in 1998.
Among 30 terrorist outfits currently operating in Tripura, two outfits - the NLFT and the All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) were responsible for most subversive and terrorist activities. These outfits resorted to large-scale abductions and extortion aimed at raising finances for their activities including acquisition of arms and maintain the relatively lavish lifestyle of their leaders.
Abductions by terrorists in Tripura has evolved into a well-organised criminal vocation. Lesser-known terrorist groups comprising small-time criminals are known to abduct civilians in order to "sell" them to one or the other of the larger gangs. These major outfits then hike the ransom amount - usually to a level double of what they have ‘paid out’ for the hostage. Among the more dramatic operations executed, in this context, was the abduction, by NLFT terrorists on August 6, 1999, of four Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leaders in the North Tripura district. Again, on September 6, 1999, NLFT terrorists abducted 17 government officials from the Block Development Office at Manu, North Tripura district. After extracting a heavy ransom, 12 government officials were released after more than a month and a half of captivity, on October 26. Two of them had been reportedly killed while the fate of the other three is uncertain.
There have also been a number of attacks on security forces personnel. The worst incidents were perpetrated by NLFT terrorists in South Tripura district on July 10 and November 22. In the first, five Tripura State Rifles jawans were killed in a grenade attack. In the second, a police convoy at Banduar was ambushed and eight policemen were killed.
Another disturbing feature of the profile of violence in the State is the pattern of attacks against Bengali settlers. 18 persons were killed by ATTF terrorists at Panchabati Bazar, West Tripura district on November 14. Twenty-five days later, NLFT terrorists shot dead five non-tribal villagers in Sripur, North Tripura district on December 9. Tribal terrorists specifically target the Bengalis, whom they call ‘settler refugees’. Most terrorists come from impoverished tribal families and have lost their land to Bengali migrants, giving rise to the sense of deprivation and injustice that fuels the present movements.
Both the ATTF and the NLFT tried to disrupt the elections to the thirteenth Lok Sabha (Parliamentary) held in the State on October 3. Nevertheless, despite threats of reprisals and terrorist violence that claimed seven lives, 60 per cent of the total electorate exercised their franchise in the two Lok Sabha constituencies in the State. Terrorists killed two civilians, including a woman on October 9 in West Tripura district in retaliation to their participation in the voting, and, in another incident a day earlier, chopped off a civilian's limb in Khowai area of West Tripura district. The homes of both tribals and non-tribals were raided by the terrorists to check for the indelible ink marks on the fingers of those who voted.
The most disturbing aspect of militancy in Tripura is reports of growing evidence of a deepening nexus between major political parties and terrorist groups. The NLFT is alleged to have close links with the Congress (I), while the ATTF is reportedly aligned with the ruling Left Front. These reports indicate that terrorism in the State - with its disproportionate emphasis on criminal activities such as abduction and extortion - is substantially supported and sustained by political patronage received by these political parties.
An important factor that aids terrorism in the State is its terrirtorial contiguity with Bangladesh and a porus international border. This helps terrorists escape into sanctuaries accross the border, safe from counter- terrorist operations of Indian security forces. On June 12, 2000, Tripura's Chief Minister, Manik Sarkar stated that the State government had given a full report to the Central government with exact details of 21 base camps in Bangladesh being run by NLFT and eight more by ATTF.
In combination with counter-terrorist operations in the State, the Union government has been making continuous efforts for a peaceful resolution of the problem of terrorism in Tripura. These efforts, however, are yet to meet with any success, as the terrorist outfits' response has been discouraging. The ATTF has set three pre-conditions for any talks with the Centre on a peaceful resolution of the problem, namely
All ‘illegally migrated’ people on or after October 15, 1949 and who are not listed in the voter list of 1951 must be declared ‘foreigners’.
Peace negotiations must be held in any convenient third country and under UN mediation.
The ‘sovereignty of Tripura’ is not negotiable in any condition.
The Centre has rejected these conditions and intensified counter-insurgency operations. The Union Home Ministry extended the ban on two terrorist outfits – NLFT and ATTF for a further six months, on November 8, 1999. 19 of the 44 police stations in Tripura have also been under the purview of the Disturbed Areas Act since October 15, 1997. These measures are yet to bring the problem of insurgency in the State under control.